Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that
shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink.
And I'm your host, Will Walden, the US Space Force's 7th mission
of the X37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or the OTV launch last
week on a Falcon Heavy rocket, and it's shrouded in mystery.
This is a Boeing built spacecraft.
Its purpose, its payload and its destination remain largely
undisclosed. But Michelle Parker, who is
Boeing's Vice President of Space missions, said that the
technological advancements we're driving on X37B will benefit the
broader space community, especially as we see increased
interest in space sustainability and we're pushing for innovation
and capability that will influence the next generation of
spacecraft. Now this is known as the US SF52
or the OTV 7, and the mission departed from Kennedy Space
Center Launch Complex 39 A in Florida.
Now the launch, which initially delayed due to weather and
technical issues, was assisted by SpaceX and the live stream of
the launch was terminated upon the space plane reaching orbit
as requested by the Space Force. Frank Kendall, the Secretary of
the US Air Force, said that the progress of space travel, citing
teamwork across various agencies and industries, is ramping up.
And for the first time, the X37B launched aboard a Falcon Heavy
rocket, one of the most powerful launch vehicles available.
This marked a departure from previous missions, which
utilized the United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rockets in
Spacex's Falcon 9 booster. The Falcon Heavy's capabilities
have fueled speculation about the potential altitude and
objectives of the Super secret mission of the X37B project is a
collaboration involving the Space Force, the US Space
Force's Rapid Capabilities Office and Boeing.
It operates under the National Security Space Launch Program
and the spacecraft's exact role remains a topic of speculation
ranging from reconnaissance to payload delivery, with a
Pentagon denying any weapons related functions.
Now, the Space Force has stated that USSF 52 will test
operations in new orbital regimes and examined radiation
effects on various payloads, including NASA provided seeds.
William Bailey, who's the Director of Rapid Capabilities
Office, said that the space plane's role is enhancing
responsibility, flexibility, and adaptive experimentation
platforms for space operations in the future.
Additionally, the X37B will experiment with technologies for
future space domain awareness. This aims to ensure safe and
secure space operations for both government and commercial
entities, and despite the secrecy, certain aspects of the
X37's design and capabilities have been disclosed.
The X37B, initially a NASA project, was developed by
Boeing's Phantom Works, designed for operations in low Earth
orbit, and it's notable for being the first vehicle since
the Space Shuttle capable of returning experiments to Earth.
It's a space plane, and it introduces several technological
innovations, including advanced avionics and electromechanical
actuation systems. Now, despite its new features,
the X37B shares some similarities with the Space
Shuttle though, including its high profile landing and lifting
body architecture. However, it is significantly
smaller and more elusive, capable of changing orbit and
concealing its position. Now, since its first mission in
2010, the X37B has completed over 37150 days in space,
covering 1.3 billion miles. Its achievements were recognized
in 2019 with the Robert J Collier Trophy for significant
American aeronautical and astronomical achievements.
Now the X37BS increasing mission durations and capabilities have
coincided with a similar development by China.
Their Shen Long Divine Dragon space plane project launched
aboard a Long March 2F rocket and has been the subject of
international interest in speculation, and Boeing's X37B
was initially designed for a 270 day mission.
However, since OTV 2 in 2011, each mission has exceeded its
predecessor in duration, with the 6th mission lasting a record
908 days, and OTV 7 is anticipated to surpass this
duration and includes expanded capabilities for hosting more
experiments. The chief of Space operations
for the Space Force suggested that OTV 7 could be the X37BS
final mission, though this comes amid increasing activity in
space endeavors by China, highlighted by their recent
Shenlong mission and deployment of objects into orbit from the
Shenlong mission. Now, the close timing of the
launches of the X37B and Shenlong has not gone unnoticed.
Though U.S. officials, including Stalzman, have acknowledged
mutual interest and surveillance between the two nations
regarding their respective space plane projects, the X37BS
development and deployment show that it's an important phase in
space exploration and technological advancement.
Right now, it's super secretive. Nature and advanced capabilities
show a significant leap in EU s s efforts to maintain a
strategic edge in space, and the speculation surrounding the S30
7BS purpose and capabilities reflects the ongoing intrigue
and competition and space exploration and utilization.
And as nations continue to develop and deploy advanced
space tech, the X37B remains a key player in this area.
Now the X37BS latest mission continues to foster discussions
and theories about its objectives and its impact.
With each mission pushing the boundaries of space tech, the
X37B remains an important component of the evolving
narrative of space exploration and security.
Now the impact of future space missions though in terms of
technology and strategy, we're not exactly sure what that's
going to be. And as it embarks on its latest
journey, the X37BS secretive nature coupled with its advanced
capabilities continues to captivate everybody.
So if we have any more information about the X37B,
we'll let you know as soon as possible.
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